Skills Development Planning for
the Environmental Sector
An overview of key initiatives
Skills and Human Capital Development
Planning in the Environmental Sector
Human Capital
Development Strategies
DEA HCD Strategy
for the 2008- 2013
Environmental Sector
Strategic Plan
Natural Resource
Management HCD
(agric, fisheries,
forestry, mining)
ESSP
Scarce and critical skills &
skills development profile
for the sector
SANBI / TLF
Biodiversity Sector
HCD Strategy
Environmental Quality
and Pollution Control
HCD initiatives
DST Global Change
HCD Strategy
Why all of this now?
• Skills development planning for the sector has been neglected (e.g. missing from
NSDS and Sector Skills Plans; qualifications inadequate; skills planning ‘reactive’
rather than pro-active) – Skills needs in the sector are critical (e.g. not enough
scientists, environmental lawyers, environmental engineers, air quality control
officers etc.)
• Workplace skills planning is an important, but inadequate mechanism for
systemic skills planning
• There are key systemic issues that need to be dealt with to ensure pro-active
human capital development in South Africa (e.g. cross-sectoral co-operation of
SETAs, new programmes in HEIs; improved workplace skills planning;
improvement of quality of EPWP training to strengthen empowerment and
livelihood capacity)
• Urgent need for the sector to intervene in the newly emerging National Skills
Development Strategy (3), and mainstream the environmental driver into the
national skills development system (SETA system; HEIs; Formal Education
curriculum revisions; F/VET colleges) and national HRD Strategy
Questions shaping the initiatives
What high skills,
Key research questions
intermediate skills and
What growth is expected & What are the ‘drivers’ elementary occupation
for skills development in the environment sector? skills are needed?
In the next 2 years?
What is going on in terms of employment, skills
In the next 5 years?
demands, and new job opportunities? (eg.
In 20 years?
Formalisation of EGS, Green Jobs)
What are the scarce and critical skills needed
across the sector?
What is the current status of environmental
training in the system? (SETAs & Higher
Education?)
What is the quality of environmental training,
what training system interventions are needed to
improve training outcomes?
What critical interventions
are needed to mainstream
the environmental driver
into the NSDS and national
education, training and
skills development system?
Progress and Delivery
• ESSP and DEA Strategic Plan HCD research is
completed, stakeholder meetings have been held in all
provinces and 3 x at national level
• Drafts of DEA ESSP and DEA HCD ready in January 2010
– for tabling at MINMEC and MINTECH in early 2010
• Starting with key initiatives to mainstream
environmental driver into NSDS 3 and new National
Skills Planning System
• DST Global Change Human Capital Development
implementation is being funded – starting 2010
• NRM HCD Process is starting
• SANBI Biodiversity HCD research is completed, and
HCD Strategy is being drafted – 2010
• Key interventions out of the plans are being mobilised